Who’s your theatre MVP?
Photos by Matt Odom
In the sports world, the MVP is the one who makes the game shine. The most valuable player is announced with fanfare as the player shows up when it matters most, uplifting the team during hard times and rallying them to victory. In Central Georgia’s theatre scene, the same spirit is alive and well. Some could call community theatre a team sport, with players who cheerfully volunteer to build backdrops one afternoon, take center stage for a showstopping number another evening, and work in the box office the next weekend. It’s all for the love of the game. The history of the robust thespian community here runs deep, with roots stretching back nearly a century ago.
Behind every curtain call is someone whose dedication and love for the craft keeps “the show must go on” mantra moving. So, we asked each of these area theatres to give their people their flowers, to honor the folks who may not always get the spotlight (because they’re pointing it). So Central Georgia stages, if you could pick one person, who’s your MVP?
THEATRE MACON
Shelley Kuhen
What they say about her: My MVP, no questions, is Shelley Kuhen! She’s been working tirelessly for more than 30 years bringing shows to life through historically accurate, extraordinarily detailed, authentic costuming and wardrobe. Theatre Macon has been the runway for thousands of Shelley’s works, and her contributions are what set Theatre Macon apart from others in our region.
No one locally can do the work Shelley does, and I would put her work against regional or professional theatres any day. Not to mention— she is a joy to work with! We’ve been creating theatre together for close to 15 years and I’m so grateful to have her by my side, and on the side of Theatre Macon!
In her own words:
With 450 shows under your belt, what’s your favorite part about working in community theatre?
Collaboration.
Where do you see your role as being so essential?
Helping actors realize who they are. I watch transformation after transformation, and it never gets old when I put them in their costume for the first time. Watching them become the person, the character—it just happens. It happens every time. Sometimes I just have to say, “You know what? It may not be what you would wear, but I see the picture.”
It’s kind of like being in a beauty shop, too. Everybody comes in and tells me all their problems. It’s safe, because we don’t talk about things outside of the shop. If people say anything in confidence, it doesn’t go out of the shop, whatsoever. Everybody feels safe in the shop.
Do you have any specific show you’ve worked on that you remember as the biggest undertaking?
I think recently, it was “Dreamgirls.” It was just so much. The Dreams themselves. Each woman had, I think, they had 23 costume changes apiece. It was just so big, and it covers a long period of time, so we had to change wigs. I forget how many wigs my daughter did! She helps me. It was like, 70 some wigs that she did, and they went from the 1950s up through the ‘70s.
Macon Little Theatre
Tony Kemp
What they say about him:On and off the stage, he brings everything to the table. His Intro to Theatre class comes over every year for a tour of the building, to try to get new Mercer students some interest in what we’ve got going on here. He’s helped build props and works behind the scenes. He’s worked with our production committee, which helps go through season and selects shows. I think the greatest asset that Tony brings is just the amount of theatre that he sees per year. He’s really checked in with what’s out there, what’s being done. Sometimes with very niche projects that no one’s heard of, sometimes with, “Hey, this is what everybody’s doing right now.” It’s on and off the stage. He’s also a fantastic actor and we’re always happy to have him working on shows.
In his own words:
How long have you been working with Macon Little Theatre?
When I discovered the theatre, that would’ve been 1992. I was doing an internship in grad school at Wesleyan, it just so happened. I didn’t know anything about Macon. They were doing “Gypsy” here. I thought, let’s go and see, and that started it. I did that show, then that summer I went back to grad school. When we moved from Ohio and we were looking at places, I’m like, “Macon has a theatre community! This would be great. Yes. Perfect.” So I came back.
What is your favorite part of working with the stage?
I just think it’s the whole being involved part, in some small way. I’m very proud of being able to contribute to our arts community and what’s going on. We need art. We need theatre—and it’s in a tiny way, but I can help with that.
Do you have any favorite moments here in this building?
I’ve got a photo of my daughter when she was a toddler, kind of walking around in the lobby. She came in and she was sitting in one of these seats in MLT. The kids have grown up here, and they’re not on the stage, but they’re really good audience members. They’ve been coming ever since. They were younger than they should have been here, but they were always good.
Perry Players
Kimberly Lochner
What they say about her: She is the current co-chair of the board and president of production. She has directed the youth summer camps for the last two years, and she’s currently working on creating more opportunities for children and teens throughout the year.
In her own words:
What drew you toward becoming a part of this theatre?
My first show here at Perry Players was “Ragtime.” I love theatre, I’ve acted with all the theatres in Middle Georgia. They’re all amazing. I think my very first one was Warner Robins Little Theatre, when I was a kid. I happened to live in Fort Valley, so this was the closest theater to me. I really love musicals—I love to sing, so I was like, how can I sing more? Musicals are the way to sing more!
How do you impact Perry Players?
I am on the board of directors, and I also take the promo pictures that you see, and the headshots. I’ve completed my fourth show as the summer camp youth director this last year, and we hope to do more shows throughout the year that involves specifically just the youth, to build up the children. The summer camps are ages seven to 18, that whole span, and we put on a full production in two weeks. We did “Peter Pan” and “The Little Mermaid” this year with 50 kids each.
Do you have a favorite moment in time from a show?
I was in “Tuck Everlasting.” I played Mae Tuck. There was a bad thunderstorm that night, and the electricity was completely knocked out, but a lot of cast members had family in the audience that were from out of town that could not come back. So, we all kind of rallied together and said, “Let’s make the show go on.” We set up cell phone lights to light the stage, and brought a piano on to do the score from, basically, sight reading. We finished the show with no mics, no music, just the piano and some cell phone lights. That experience is still talked about as one of the coolest to be in the audience for.
Warner Robins Theatre Little Theatre
Victoria Hawkins
What they say about her: Without her, our website, social media, programs, ads, marketing materials, and set design would be non-existent! She builds our sets and makes sure the theatre shines, online and onstage.
In her own words:
What sparked the idea to work with WRLT?
Through my best friend and business partner, Jaimie Miller. As long as I’ve known her, Jaimie has been deeply involved in local theatre, while my own artistic background was rooted more in the local visual arts and music scene. After Jaimie and I opened our local businesses (Between Friends Coffee and Between Friends Publishing) her world naturally began to overlap with mine. Whenever Jaimie was cast in local productions, her fellow castmates and theatre leaders often stopped by the coffee shop to support her.
Those early conversations opened my eyes to how vibrant and welcoming the theatre community is in Central Georgia. My first hands-on experience with theatre design came in 2017 at Perry Players. There, I had the opportunity to learn from Jaimie’s castmate and the theatre’s lead designer at the time, Jason Niederkorn. He generously showed me the ropes of poster and playbill design, which quickly became a creative outlet I fell in love with.
What do you enjoy doing for the theatre?
I currently serve on the WRLT Board of Governors as head of the Publicity Committee. I oversee and manage our website, social media presence, advertising campaigns, and all graphic design for the theatre. Essentially, if it connects our productions to the community visually or digitally, I have a hand in it. I actively volunteer for almost every production, including stage management, set design, and box office duties. If you attend a show, chances are you’ll spot me in action!
What stands out to you about a night at WRLT?
I like to stand in the lobby on show nights, quietly watching as the audience filters in. In that moment, they step through our doors and leave behind whatever might be weighing on them. There’s a special kind of excitement in the air as guests stop to admire the posters, flip through their playbills, and take in the environment even before the curtain rises. Their faces light up with anticipation. In those small moments, I can already see the theatre doing its work; drawing people in, making them feel connected, and reminding them that for the next two to three hours, we have the privilege of crafting a unique, shared experience together… and that’s the true magic of live theatre.
